Sunglow
by year of the snake
Summary: I wrote this for ZK-Underground's prompt Sunlight. What is the strongest reason that Zuko loves the sun? You may be surprised. Zutara


**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Air-bender, the very talented team of Mike and Brain own the show and characters. The rating maybe wrong but I did try to get it right. **

**By: year of the snake (at fanfiction) aka. crescent moon (at mediaminer). And now Opal-Dreams on DeviantArt.**

**Sunglow**

Zuko watched her. It wasn't fair. The night, no, not the night, the moon made her appear ethereal, like she was some long forgotten benevolent deity. It made her some immortal being that was far beyond his reach. That is why no matter how gorgeous the moonlight made her he preferred the sunlight.

The sunlight made her human. It made her real; it made her accessible. Yet still, he couldn't touch her. He didn't have that right. But he almost could. If he had the right he would. Never at night, when she was a goddess, only when the sun chased the spiritual glow from her skin. Only in the sunlight, only when she was human.

She slipped into her tent and he could almost breath easy again. Zuko wondered why he thought that way. Why did he find her more attractive when she lost the moon glow? What prompted him to wish for a human and not a goddess?

It took a good fifteen minutes but he recalled something in his past, something he'd witnessed that he shouldn't have.

Yue the princess of the moon. She had fallen in love with a human boy, a human boy he knew fairly well now. She gave up her happiness to save everyone. It tore a hole in Sokka and in the spirit to separate. He could only imagine how much harder it would be for the immortal, Yue, when Sokka would die and she would live on, and on.

Zuko didn't want that for himself. He also wouldn't doom any immortal, any goddess, any spirit, to that fate. No he wanted a human woman. They wouldn't be separated too long. And it may still be hard to live on when his mate dies or he dies but not near as hard as having forever to miss the other.

Zuko looked up at the moon, at Yue. He knew everyone was in bed now. So Zuko spoke to her. "How hard is it to love when you are immortal and he isn't? Is it worth it?" She didn't answer. He didn't expect it. "You make the one I," he choked and said, "like" instead of what he meant, "immortal like you. I want to be with her but every night when you shine she is just like you. She's untouchable, ethereal, a deity."

For just a moment the moon's cold light turned warm on his skin. He felt a supernatural, shallow hand brush his hair aside. It was like the moon had taken it upon herself to answer him without words. 'It will be alright. She wont be immortal forever.'

Zuko stayed up late. He dosed on and off all night. Every time he awoke the moon had moved closer to the far horizon. Zuko finally couldn't sleep anymore when the sunrise would soon begin.

Colors splashed like dolphin-tigers over the jagged horizon. Zuko sat and watched the colors. Soon the sun peeked at him shyly. It was as if the sun was checking to see if it was alright to rise. The sun decided it was. Sunlight streaked to the ground.

A few minutes later a tent's flap fluttered as someone exited. There she was. She, the human, the beautiful, human woman he loved. The one that he could almost touch and almost kiss. The woman that hunted his dreams and had him waking up every half hour to see if the sun had risen yet. The one that had him worrying that the sun wouldn't rise and transform her back.

"You really do rise with the sun, don't you Zuko?"

"So do you, apparently."

"Only because I have to."

The sun glowed on her hair in it's soft, new born morning tinges. "Good morning Katara."

* * *

I know it's short but I like it. This was inspired by ZK-Underground's (on deviantART) prompt Sunlight. They chose Sunlight because the moon gets a lot of love in fandoms.

I am having what will probably be my last big contest. So if you want a prize from me you better enter it. This is the current link, http://opal-dreams{ }deviantart{ }com/journal/29315020/ (replace { } with a . )I may make an updated version but nothing much will change unless someone donates a prize or enters before then. =D

Check out my contests. They're on deviantART. =D

Please let me know what you think. Bye.


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